Electrically operated stop motion means for looms for weaving tufted pile fabrics



Aug. 23, 1955 E. s. BUTLER ET AL 2,715,920

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED STCP MOTION MEANS FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING TUFTED FILE FABRICS Filed March 17, 1950 s Sheets-Sheet 1 R n n n A a n n n R R A A A AA ym/e #rroeflexa- I 2- I M/ A g- 2 1955 E. s. BUTLER ET AL 2,715,920

ELECTRICALLY OPERATED STOP MOTION MEANS FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING TUFTED FILE FABRICS Filed March 17, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 //v VE/V Toes;

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Aug. 23, 1955 ELECTRICALLY OPERATED STOP MOTION MEANS FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING TUFTED PILE FABRICS Filed March 17, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 United States Patent ELECTRICALLY OPERATED STOP MOTIGN BEANS FOR LOOMS FOR WEAVING TUFTED PILE FABRICS Edward 5. Butler, Chadderton, Oldharn, and Arthur Sutciifie, Werneth, Oldham, England, assignors to Plait Brothers and Company Limited, Oldham, England Application March 17, 1950, Serial No. 150,272

illaims priority, application Great Britain March 17, 1949 4 Claims. (Cl. 139336) This invention relates to electrically operated stop motion means for looms for weaving tufted pile fabrics and refers more particularly to spool Axminster carpet looms in which tube frames for holding spools of tuft yarns are alternately engaged with and disengaged from carrying chains for conveying the tube frames to and from the places at which they are to be used for the supply of tuft yarn for insertion between warp threads.

The invention has for its object the provision of electrically operated stop motion means for ensuring the immediate stoppage of the loom in the event of a tube frame falling out of the carrier chains at the place of insertion.

Electrically operated stop motion means according to the invention includes a vertical rod slidably mounted in a bracket secured to the loom frame and having a bowl or roller revolvably mounted in its lower extremity, said bowl or roller being adapted to bear against the adjacent spool pivot spring of the tube frame and means for making or breaking a low-voltage electric circuit to operate an electric stop motion when the removal of a tube frame from the carrier chains causes the vertical rod to lose its abutment on the spool pivot spring and to fall by gravity assisted by spring or other influence.

The invention will now be described with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which only so much of a loom is shown as is necessary for a clear understanding of the invention. The same reference characters indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings.

in the drawings Fig. l is a fragmentary side elevation of a carrier chain wrapping a sprocket wheel at the delivery position of the chain and showing the application of the invention in its preferred form; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end view of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side elevation of a cam-operated sequence switch later to be described; Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of a modification of the invention later to be described. Fig. 5 is a diagram of the electrical circuit of the electric stop motion. Figs. 6 and 7 are diagrammatic views of a detailed part of the invention later to be described.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 10 indicates a carrier chain wrapping a sprocket wheel 11 mounted on a shaft 12, 13 indicates a tube frame, 14 indicates a tube frame carrier plate, 15 indicates a spool, and 16 a spool pivot spring all of known construction and operating in known manner.

Slidably mounted in a bearing bracket 17 secured to the loom frame 18 above each tube frame end bracket is a vertical rod 19 furnished at its lower extremity with a bowl or roller 20 normally adapted to bear against the spool pivot spring 16, see Fig. 2, against which it is held by a compressor spring 21 surrounding said rod and acting between the upper part of the bracket 17 and an adjustable collar 22 on the vertical rod 19. Se-

cured to the rod 19 adjacent to its upper extremity is a bracket 23 furnished with an adjustable contact terminal 24 in the form of a screw.

Below the aforesaid terminal 24 is a second terminal in the form of a plate 25 insulated from the frame 18 as indicated at 26 and forming one contact terminal in a low voltage electrical circuit of an electric stop motion the other terminal of which is provided by the screw through the medium of the loom frame.

When a tube frame is removed from the carrier chains 10 the vertical rod 19 loses its abutment on the spool pivot spring 16 and falls by gravity assisted by the spring 21 whereupon the contact terminal 24 comes into contact with the contact terminal plate 25 to complete the low voltage electric circuit whereby to bring the stop motion into operation as later described.

Referring to Fig. 3, which shows a sequence switch operated by a cam, 27 indicates a cam secured on a shaft mounted in the loom frame 18 and adapted to make one revolution in each complete cycle of operations of the loom. Located adjacent to the cam 27 is a sequence switch 28 having two contacts, 29. The cam 27 is so set as to operate the sequence switch 28 only at the proper time.

The contacts 29 are adapted to be bridged by a plunger 31), operated by a bowl or roller 31 mounted on a lever 32 pivoted on the switch casing, said lever also being furnished with a bowl or roller 33 tracking the cam 27. When the cam 27 depresses the lever 32 the plunger 30 is pressed inwards to bridge the contacts 29 and complete the low-voltage circuit. When the cam moves round the plunger 39 is moved outwards under spring pressure to open the contacts 29.

The sequence of operations of the electric stop motion will be described with reference to the diagram shown in Fig. 5, in which E indicates a transformer for low (safe) voltage; C indicates a trip relay with one normally closed contact indicated at C D indicates a relay with two normally open contacts D D E indicates a trip contact on the loom; F indicates a changeover push unit actuated by the loom starting handle, having four terminals F F F and F; G indicates a reset button on the loom; H indicates a signal lamp. J indicates a sequence switch.

The operation is as follows:

With the loom running normally, all the contacts and relays are as shown in the diagram but when the rod 19 falls and the terminals 24 and 25 contact to complete the circuit, i. e., closing switch E of the diagram, the electric circuit is however not completed until the sequence switch I is closed (corresponding to sequence switch 28), thus energising the relay coil D and closing contacts D D contact D providing an alternative path for electric current through the relay coil D, making the relay coil D self-retaining and now independent of the contact at E. The contact D being closed provides a circuit through the contacts F F and relay coil C, thus breaking contact C which causes the circuit to the electro-motor to be opened automatically, and deenergises a solenoid on the loom, whereby to trip the starting handle.

The starting handle, which is spring-loaded, thus returns to the off position and in so doing releases the clutch between the electromotor and the loom and applies a mechanical brake, at the same time also releasing the change-over push unit F, breaking contact between F and F and bridging F and F The relay coil is now de-energised and C returns to normal closed position. An alternative circuit then flows through contacts F F"=, lamp H and contact D thus indicating the cause of the stoppage.

The driving motor can be switched on if required and the loom inched at the operators will, but, if the start- Patented Aug. 23, 1955.

ing handle is moved to full on position before removal of the causes of stoppage, the stop motion will again act.

Having rectified the cause of the stoppage, the operator can then press the re-set button G, and the loom is again ready for running.v

The means for moving the starting handle quickly from on position to "o position are shown diagrammatically in Figs. 6 and 7.

Referring to Figs. 6 and 7, 34 indicates the starting handle shown in the on position in a notch 35 in a quadrant 36, see Fig. 7. 37 indicates a solenoid carried in a suitable position on the loom; connected by a swivel 38 tothe core 39 of the solenoid 37 is a bell-crank lever 40, the opposite end of which is connected to an adjustable connecting rod 41. The connecting rod 41 is connected at its opposite end by a lever 42 to a knockoff lever 43 pivoted on the same shaft 44 as the lever 42, the free end of the knock-off lever 43 lying adjacent to the starting handle 34 when in the on position. When the stop motion is actuated as previously described, the solenoid 37 is de-energised, whereupon the core 39 drops and through the link 38 rocks the bell-crank lever which in turn pushes the connecting rod in the direction of the arrow Y to rock the lever 42 and with it the knockoff lever 43 which, moving quickly forward under the influence of a spring 45 in operative association with the connecting rod 41, knocks the starting handle 34 out of the notch 35.

The starting handle 34 which is spring-influenced moves rapidly to the off: position and releases the driving clutch between the electromotor and the loom and applies a brake tobring the loom to a standstill.

Referring to the modification of the invention shown in Fig. 4 parts corresponding to those previously described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2 are represented by the same reference numerals distinguished by the addition of the exponent 1.

Located on a part of the loom frame 18 adjacent to the upper end of the vertical rod 19 is a switch 46 connected in an electric circuit, and hereinafter for convenience referred to as the primary switch.

-When a tube frame is removed from the carrier chains 10 by the transferring arms in the known manner the vertical rod 19 losses its abutment on the spool pivot spring 16 and is forced downwards by the compression spring 21 and by means of a trigger in the form of a screw 47 on its upper end opens or closes the primary switch 46 to make or break the electric circuit and stop the motor. The said primary switch works in conjunction with a sequence switch 28 shown in Fig. 3, making it operable only at the requisite time.

When the tube frame is in process of transference from the carrying chains to the place where the tuft yarn is to be inserted between warp threads the electric circuit is opened by aswitch, i. e., the aforementioned sequence switch 28, operatediby the cam 27 on the main tappet shaft of the loom, or other suitable part of the loom mechanism, whereby the loom continues to run.

At the instant that a tube frame is restored to the carrying. chains the cam 27 operates the sequence switch 28 to makev the lastmentioned circuit, and provided the tube frame. is in the chain the circuit is broken 'at' the primary switch 46 and the loom continues to run; but if the tube frame is not correctly positioned in the chain the circuit is completed at the primary switch 46 and the loom is stopped- The loomrnay be run in the inching position while the stop motion is in operation, but cannot be started for continuous running until a tube frame has been placed in the carrying chains and the; reset button depressed to reset the stop motion in the running position.

What we claim is:

1. In a spool Axminster loom of the type in which tube frames for holding spools of tuft yarns are alternately engaged with and disengaged from carrying chains for conveying the tube frames to and from the places at which they are to be used for the supply of tuft yarn for insertion between warp threads, including a motor, av driving adjustable collar on said rod between which and the upperv part of the aforementioned bearing bracket the said compression spring is compressed, a bracket secured to said rod adjacent to its upper extremity, a screw screwing into said last mentioned bracket to form an adjustable contact terminal in communication with the low-voltage electrical circuit of the electric stop motion means through the medium of the m frame, a plate located below said screw and secured to but insulated from the loom frame and'forming a second contact terminal in said low-voltage electrical circuit, said contact terminals forming a primary switch in said circuit, and a sequence switch, whereby the removal of a tube frame from the carrier chains causes the said vertical rod to lose its abutment on the spool pivot spring and to fall thereby bridging the two contact terminals to complete the low-voltage circuit in conjunction with the said sequence switch which is only operable at the requisite time.

2. In a spool Axminster carpet loom, an electrical stop motion means including a vertical rod, a low-voltage circuit, a sequence switch, and a primary switch mounted on the loom frame adjacent to the upper end of the vertical rod and connected in the low-voltage circuit of the electric stop'motion means, the downward movement of said rod operating said primary switch whereby in conjunction with the sequence switch the low-voltage circuit is energized at the requisite time to stop the loom.

3. In spool Axminster carpet looms of the type referred to, an electrically operated stop motion means including a low-voltage electrical circuit, a primary switch in said circuit, a spring-influenced vertical rod slidably mounted:

in a bracket secured to the loom frame for opening and closing the primary switch, said rod having a bowl or' roller revolvably mounted in its lower extremity and adapted to bear against the adjacent spool pivot spring of the tube frame, wherebywhen the removal of a tube frame from the carrying chains causes the vertical rod to lose its abutment on the spool pivot spring and to fall 4. A spool Axminster carpet loom as claimed in claim.

3, in which the low-voltage circuit of the stop motion means includes a transformer for low voltage, a trip relay with two normally open contacts, a change-over push unit actuated by the loom starting handle and having four terminals, a reset button on the loom, and a signal lamp.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Robb Dec. 22, 1942 Robb Dec. 12, 1944 

